Dual service mail crane



Nov. 28, 1933. w BARKER 1,937,398

DUAL SERVICE MAIL CRANE Filed Aug. l2, 1933 Patented Nov. 28', 1933 UNIrED STATESV vPATENT lorries 7 Claims.

'This invention relates in general to mail cranes which are employed for holding mail pouches in a predetermined position with respect to the catcher of a passing train which picks the pouch d v off from the crane.

speedof the newer trains, the mail pouches in order to be picked up with certainty and without injury to the pouch or the equipment must be very accurately held by the crane in a precisely predetermined position.

One'of the primary purposes of my presentY invention is to providea mail crane capable of rendering dual serviceto two types or" mail cars running over the same road bed. In other words, my novel cranev is designed to hold apmail pouch .the required position to be picked up'by the catcher of a standard car or in another required vposition to be picked up by the catcherlof the differently dimensioned newer cars. n

Another purpose of my invention is to provideacrane embodying a diiTerent set of holding arms for each servicerequired so that one set may be used entirely independently ofthe other,` and 'to so mount these sets of. arms upon thesupportingmast of thecrane that one set will notin any way interfere withvthe operation of the other, and so that` when not in use both sets of armsautomaticallyr assume a collapsed position in proximity to the mast, where they .may be retained remote and entirely clear from danger of injury by passing trains and danger of injuring persons on moving trains or passing vehicles- Another purpose of my inventionis to -provide supporting hooks for the mail pouch which will be flexible so' as topermit the ready disengagement of the, pouch by the passing train without Vinjury to the pouch or to the crane, and which will be rigidly fastened to the pouch supporting arms so as not to become released or broken off from the arms under the rigorous service to Which they are subjected.

Other objects and advantages of my invention shouldVv be readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing. I

Owing to the highv speed ofV mast a bracket 14 and likewise beneathv the Referring to the drawing, Fig. l is a side elevation oi a crane embodying my invention, one set of arms for holding the ,pouch in one position being shown in full lines and the extended or operative position of the 30 other set of arms being illustrated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing all of the arms in collapsed position;

Fig.- 3 is a front elevation looking toward the left at Fig. 2; e

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional view on the I line 4 4 of Fig., 1 showing the curved upper bracket;

"Fig, 5 is a similar View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 showingthe corresponding lower bracket; 70

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, reference character 8 indicates the base of the crane which is rigidly secured by boltsor otherwise to a concrete or other foundation 9 located ak proper distance from the track to be served. From the base rises a supporting mast 11 preferably of tubular construction and of suicient height to support a pouch at the maximum height required;

Upon the upper end of the mast is mounted the upper bracket 12A and beneath and in vertical alignment with this bracket :is disposed the lower bracket 13, these two brackets constituting a pair employed in supporting the pouch in one position. Beneath the bracket 12 there is mounted upon the bracket 13 is mounted the bracket 15.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that bracket 14 is of elbow shape,- the short arm being` bifurcated to be slipped over the mast 11 where it is clamped by a plurality of bolts 16. If preferred a plug of suitable dimensions may be disposed between the bifurcations of the arm through which the bolts 16 pass, thereby adding to the rigidity of the structure. To further securely attach the arm to the mast so as to insure against rotative or vertical movements on the mast, a bolt or pin 17 may be passed through the arm and the mast. The longer arm or" the bracket i4 is' provided between its ends with a vertically disposed guide opening 18 to accommodate inits vertical sliding movements a rod or member 19 the functions of which will presently be described. The outer end of this arm of the bracket is bifurcated or recessed from the bottom to accom- Cai modate the inner end of arm 21 which is hinged or pivoted to the bracket upon a bolt 22.

The bracket 15 is likewise oi elbow shape secured to the mast by bolts 16 and a pin 1'? similarly to the bracket 14, and the outer end of this bracket is likewise bifurcated or recessed as indicated at 23 to accommodate the inner end oi lower arm 24 which is hinged` thereto by bolt 25. It will be observed that the lower bracket l5 somewhat shorter than the upper bracket 14 of this pair and is provided outwardly of the hinge pin 25 with a guide opening 26 for the lower end of the rod 19.

A link 27 is pivoted at one end to a collar 2S on` the rod 19 and at its other end to a similar collar 29 on the arm 21. When the rod 19 is in the upper position as illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1,.

this link serves to support the arm 2i in the horizontal position shown. The outer end of each arm is provided with a resilient supporting hook in the form of a coil spring 31 having its free end terminating in a hooked portion 32 adapted to be engaged by the ring 33 of the mail pouch 34. Each yielding hook is secured to the end ci its arm by a bolt 35` which securely but detachably fastens the spring hook to its respective arm.

When the set of armsabove rdescribed is to be used to support the pouch 34 in the position shown in full'lines in Fig. 1 the upper ring oi the pouch is engaged with the spring member 31, :I'hereupon the arm 21 and the pouch are lifted to the position shown in full lines. The arm 24 is then swung from suspended position to the extended position shown in full lines and the hook member 31 is engaged with the lower ring of the pouch.

It will be observed from Figs. 1 and 6 that when thearm 24 is in horizontalpposition it is disposed beneath the lower end of supporting rod or member 19 so as to hold this member in its elevated position, thus holding the arm 2l in ex- Y tended position. This arm supports the pouch and the lower ring of the pouch holds the arm 24 extended so that the whole structure is self-sustaining and the pouch will be iirmly held in position to be picked oli by the catcher orn the passing train. As soon as the pouch is removed, which, because of the yielding character of the coil spring supporting hooks, is accomplished without injury to either the pouch orthe crane, the arm 24 will drop by gravity into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereupon the rod 19 will be permitted to slide down through the guide opening 26 permitting the arm 21 to also collapse into the vertically suspended position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The other set of rackets l2 and'lB also carries similar arms 36 and 37 pivoted to their respective brackets at 38 and 39, the upper arm being supported by a link 4l pivoted to this arm and to a supporting rod or member 42 in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the construction and operation of arms 21 and 24. Arms 35 and 37 are likewise equipped with spring hook members 31 as previously described.

For the purpose of holding the arms 24 and 37 agains swinging movements or accidental breakage have mounted upon the mast li a bracket 43, illustrated in detail in Fig. 7. This bracket, similarly to brackets 14 and l5, is bifurcated to lit around the mast 11 and is secured thereto by bolts 44 and 45. In proximity to the mast it is shaped to provide a flaring mouth or guide 46 to receive and retain the arm S7 and the extended portion 47 is similarly provided with a mouth or guide 48 shaped to receive and accommodate the arm 24. When these arms or either of them swing downwardly into collapsed position they enter their respective guides in the bracket 43, by which they are held against lateral swinging movements and protected from breakage and injury or causing injury.

It will be apparent ii om the foregoing that my dual service crane provides for the holding of a mail pouch in either of two predetermined positions, that the pouch will be firmly and accurately held in either oi these positions, and that when it is removed the holding arms will automatically collapse under gravity into a position close to the mast and where they will not be subject to breakage. Either set oi arms may be used without interference by the other, the whole structure is strong and durable, and since many of the parts are duplicates it can be economically manufactured.

Obviously the details of construction illustrated and described are capable of considerable modification ywithout departing from the spirit yor" the invention as denned in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A dual service mail crane comprising', a mast, a pair of upper brackets comprising a straight bracket and an elbow-shaped bracket mounted on said mast and projecting outwardly therefrom in substantially parallel but laterally spaced apart relation, an upper `arm hinged to each of said brackets to swing vertically, a pair of lower brackets comprising a straight bracket yand an elbow-shaped bracket mounted on said mast veach in substantially vertical alignment with its companion upper bracket, a lower arm hinged to each of said lower brackets to swing vertically, each pairof vertically aligned arms being provided at their outer ends with means for supportinga mail pouch, and means controlled by each of said lower arms for releasably supporting its companion upper arm in extended operative position.

2. A dualA service mail crane comprising a mast, a pair of brackets mounted on said mast in vertically spaced relation and projecting radially therefrom, arms pivotally hinged to said brackets, means controlled by one of said arms for supporting the other arm in horizontally extended position, a second pair of L-shaped brackets mounted on said mast in vertically spaced relation Vthe major 'portion of each bracket extending substantially parallel to but spaced horizontally from said nrst pair ofbrackets, an arm hinged to each of said second pair of brackets, and means controlled byy one of said second arms for supporting the other arm in horizontally extended position.

3. A dual service mail crane comprising a supporting mast, a pair of brackets mounted thereon in vertically spaced relation and extending laterally from said mast, a second pair of elbow shaped brackets mounted on said mast to project substantially parallel with but in laterally spaced relation to said first pair of brackets, an arm hinged toV each bracket, a coil spring hook member attached to and projecting from the freeend of each arm, means for releasably supporting the arms of each pair in substantially horizontal position, said means being adapted to be released by gravity when the mail pouch is disengaged from the hook members of a pair of arms, and a guide for receiving and holding the lower arm of each pair in vertically suspended collapsed position.

4. A dual service mail crane comprising a supporting mast, a pair of vertically aligned brackets carried by the mast, an arm hinged to each of said brackets, a second pair of vertically aligned brackets carried by the mast and projecting substantially parallel with said pair of brackets, an arm hinged to each of said second pair of brackets, means for releasably supporting the arms of.

each pair in horizontally extended position, and means carried by the mast for receiving and retaining the lower arm of each pair Whenr in collapsed position.

5. A dual service'mail crane comprising a mast, a plurality of pairs of arms swingingly supported from the mast so as to be disposed in horizontal operative position or vertical inoperative position, a coil spring surrounding the outerl end of each arm andV terminating at its free end in a pouch engaging hook, means for securing each of said springs to its respective arm, means for retaining each pair of arms in horizontal position, and means carried by the mast for receiving certain of said arms when in vertical inoperative po- Y sition.

6. A dual service mail crane comprising a mast, and means carried thereby for supporting a mail pouch in a plurality of selected positions for pick-up by diiferent types of massimir train equipment, said means including a plurality of pairs of automatically collapsible pouch supporting arms, and means rendered operable by a supported pouch for maintaining said arms in operative position.

7. A dual service mail crane comprising a mast, a pairV Yof brackets supported on said mast in 'vertically spaced relation and projecting radially means carried by the outer end of each arm, and,

means rendered operableby a supported pouch for retaining each pair of arms in horizontal position.

LEWIS W. BARKER. 

